Thursday, May 24, 2007

The Weekly Recap

The following selected stories appeared in the Virginia Lawyers Weekly Daily E-Mail Alert from May 21 to May 25. The originating source of a story is indicated within the item. Please note that not all links may remain active. If you are not presently receiving the Daily Alert, please click here to sign up.

May 21

Lawsuit filed over Pittsylvania hunting accident

A man hurt in a 2005 hunting accident has filed a $1.3 million lawsuit, reports the Danville Register & Bee. According to the suit, one hunter fired his 12-gauge shotgun at in deer standing in the direction of the injured man.

Moderate Republican tapped to run for Chichester’s seat

Westmoreland County lawyer Richard Stuart has won the GOP nomination to run for the Senate seat held by retiring Sen. John Chichester, reports The Free Lance-Star. Stuart was the most moderate Republican in a field of four; he had the backing of both Chichester and House Speaker Bill Howell. Stuart will face Democrat Albert Pollard Jr., a former delegate, in November.

FAA: Proposed Arlington high-rises a problem for airport

The Federal Aviation Administration has ruled that proposed high-rise building projects in Arlington could imperil air travel in and out of Reagan National Airport, reports the Washington Post. The FAA has no legal authority to stop the projects, but local officials say they will work to address the agency’s concerns.

Frederick County Circuit Clerk will run again

Rebecca P. Hogan, who has served as Frederick County Circuit Clerk since 1997, will seek reelection, reports the Winchester Star. Hogan has worked in the clerk’s office since 1970, starting as a secretary.

Trial set for grocer’s claims against distributor

Grocer and entrepreneur Johnny Johnson claims that Supervalu Inc., the country’s largest grocery wholesale distributor, wrecked his small chain of Community Pride stores. The trial in his lawsuit begins today in Richmond Circuit Court, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Trial of Episcopal Church suit begins today in Fairfax

The trial of an extensive lawsuit filed by the Episcopal Church and its Virginia Diocese against 11 churches that voted to leave starts today in Fairfax Circuit Court, reports the Washington Times.

May 22

Man enters Alford plea on charges arising from manhunt

Last October, a man named Elvis G. Shifflett led Albemarle County police on a week-long manhunt that ended when he was shot trying to steal a truck. The Daily Progress reports that he entered Alford pleas to a number of charges related to the incident, including eluding police and possession of a weapon as a felon. He will be sentenced in July in Charlottesville, where he faces other charges.

High court: Stafford appeal filed too late

The Supreme Court of Virginia has upheld a circuit judge’s ruling that residents and Stafford County officials waited too long to file an appeal of a decision of the local zoning board, reports The Free Lance-Star. The appellants wanted to challenge an administrator’s ruling that an anti-terrorist training facility called The Crucible should be classified as a school.

Surry officials confer on dogfighting case

Surry County officials met Monday to discuss the possible dogfighting at a home owned by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, but no charges have been filed yet, reports The Virginian-Pilot.

Bolt-in-neck case from Roanoke settled

The Roanoke Times reports that a confidential settlement has been reached in the case of a Bassett woman who claimed that her doctor left a bolt-like object in her neck after emergency surgery. She hit her head on a glass bedside table; the bolt, removed by another doctor a year later, had been part of that furniture.

May 23

Northern Virginia Senate candidate indicted

Mark Tate, a candidate for the GOP nomination for the Senate seat of retiring Sen. H. Russell Potts Jr., has been indicted in Loudoun County on charges of election fraud and perjury, reports the Washington Post. His lawyer decried the indictments, handed down three weeks before the June 12 primary.

Caroline’s Latney draws opponent for first time in 29 years

Harvey Latney has been commonwealth’s attorney in Caroline County for more than 29 years without facing a challenger in an election. No longer. Yesterday, Tony Spencer, a former deputy prosecutor in Richmond now living in Caroline, filed the papers to run for the seat in November, reports The Free Lance-Star.

Liberty U. student arrested for bombs before Falwell funeral

The News & Advance reports that a 19-year-old Liberty University student has been arrested for manufacturing homemade bombs after his family told police he made them in preparation for yesterday’s funeral of the Rev. Jerry Falwell. Police are investigating a motive; the man apparently had issues with members of a Kansas church who came to Lynchburg to protest at the funeral.

May 24

Leighty, Kaine’s chief of staff, to step down

Bill Leighty, Gov. Tim Kaine’s chief of staff, will leave his post on Friday, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Leighty served in the same position for the full term of Kaine’s predecessor, Gov. Mark Warner. Wayne Turnage, the current deputy chief of staff, will succeed Leighty at the governor’s top lieutenant.

Liberty U. student now faces federal charge

The Liberty University student apprehended with homemade bombs in the trunk of his car at the Rev. Jerry Falwell’s funeral now faces a federal charge of possessing an explosive device, reports the Roanoke Times. State charges were dropped; he remains in custody.

Two men charged with building meth lab in Orange County

Orange County authorities have arrested two men they say were putting together a methamphetamine lab in an empty barn at a farm, reports The Daily Progress. No drugs had been manufactured yet.

Fairfax supervisors want to close additions loophole

Fairfax County supervisors will seek to close a local loophole that they say allows a builder essentially to erect new a house while calling it an addition, reports the Washington Post.

Carriage Hill Rehabilitation and Nursing Center was dropped from the federal Medicare program this month, 10 days after a resident strangled to death on a nurse-call cord, The Free Lance-Star reports.

Supreme Court to hear Norfolk voting case

The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case seeking access to voting applications that were rejected by Norfolk’s voter registrar, The Virginia-Pilot reports.

Former Henry sheriff pleads guilty

In the recorded conversations played Thursday in federal court, disgraced former Henry County Sheriff Frank Cassell seemed almost grandfatherly as he reached out to reassure a one-time employee down on his luck, The Roanoke Times reports.

Goode criticizes Mexican flag displays

Rep. Virgil Goode says he’s riled by restaurants in his region that display a Mexican flag, and he thinks President Bush is wrong on the new immigration bill, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.

Legislative hearings set for Virginia Tech shootings

The Virginia House of Delegates will hold hearings this summer to consider solutions to problems in the mental health system exposed after Seung Hui Cho’s shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, The Washington Post reports.